SBA Orders Full-Scale Audit of 8(a) Program: What You Should Do to Prepare -
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced an “immediate and full-scale audit” of its 8(a) business development program. The...more
DOD Releases Intellectual Property Guidebook: Key Insights for Defense Contractors, Part 1 -
On May 1, 2025, the Department of Defense (DOD) released its much-anticipated Intellectual Property (IP)...more
Can Contractors Recover Damages for Arbitrary CPAR Ratings? The ASBCA Weighs In -
Every seasoned government contractor knows the weight a negative Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) can carry. A blemish in the...more
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program underwent a major rule change in January 2025, as we wrote about here. In this blog, PilieroMazza examines new...more
Every seasoned government contractor knows the weight a negative Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) can carry. A blemish in the CPAR System (CPARS) can mean the difference between winning a new contract or losing...more
March 2025: Reducing the Negative Impacts of a Government Shutdown for Federal Contractors -
On top of the uncertainty introduced through the Trump administration’s shifting priorities and rapid-fire executive orders,...more
In a recent Final Rule (Rule) made effective January 17, 2025, the Federal Acquisition Regulation’s (FAR) suspension and debarment procedures were revised to be more consistent with the procedures in 2 CFR part 180 applicable...more
December 2024: Reducing the Negative Impacts of a Government Shutdown for Federal Contractors -
Once again, the specter of a government shutdown looms over the federal contracting community. The federal government is set...more
The Department of Defense (DOD) has finally promulgated its Final Rule (Rule) implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, which goes ‘live’ on December 16th. There is plenty of content...more
Trump 2.0: Implications for Federal Spending and the Workforce -
The election of former President Trump has the potential to significantly change the federal procurement landscape. As with his first term, President-elect...more
The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently issued a proposed rule (Rule) that would significantly change a government contractor’s obligations to recertify its size and socioeconomic status under set-aside contracts and...more
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program has been a headache for many defense contractors since the idea was first introduced in 2019. The program seeks to protect unclassified information, including...more
8/16/2024
/ Certification Requirements ,
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) ,
Defense Contracts ,
Defense Sector ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
NIST
Prepare to (Semi)Conduct Your Due Diligence! Proposed Rule to Prohibit Certain Semiconductor Products and Services -
Whether you’re aware or not, semiconductors are part of a vast variety of electronics. Semiconductors...more
8/1/2024
/ Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
FCC ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
FinCEN ,
NLRB ,
SBA ,
Semiconductors ,
USDA ,
USPTO
Whether you’re aware or not, semiconductors are part of a vast variety of electronics. Semiconductors appear in items ranging from smartphones to pacemakers. The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) issued an...more
7(a) Loan Approval for Borrowers with Unresolved COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Compliance Issues: On May 21, SBA’s OIG issued an inspection report assessing SBA’s 7(a) loan approval process for borrowers with unresolved pandemic...more
The Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) was enacted in 2022 with the primary purpose of preserving national security, economic security, and public health and safety. CIRCIA provides the Director...more
5/29/2024
/ Compliance ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Federal Contractors ,
Hackers ,
Popular ,
Reporting Requirements
FTC Non-Compete Ban Attacked by Businesses: What You Need to Know about the Ban -
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a final rule banning employers from enforcing non-compete agreements against...more
In March 2024, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the final version of its secure software development self-attestation common form (Form), requiring federal government contractors who...more
Focus on SBA’s SBIC Program, Part 3: Demystifying the Intricacies of the SBIC Application Process -
The Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program is emerging as a powerful financial tool for small business...more
2/1/2024
/ Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
GAO ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
IRS ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
SBA ,
U.S. Commerce Department
In an era where digital threats are ever-evolving, ensuring the security of sensitive government data is paramount, especially for government contractors working on defense contracts. Join PilieroMazza’s Cy Alba and Daniel...more
1/23/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Defense Contracts ,
Defense Sector ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
New Rules
Department of Defense (DOD) Final Rule: Inapplicability of Certain Laws and Regulations to Commercial Items -
DOD issues this Final Rule to amend the DFARS to address the inapplicability of certain laws and regulations to...more
11/27/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
GAO ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
SBA ,
Small Business
In an era where digital threats are ever-evolving, ensuring the security of sensitive government data is paramount, especially for government contractors working on defense contracts. Join PilieroMazza’s Cy Alba and Daniel...more
11/22/2023
/ Classified Information ,
Contract Termination ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Defense Contracts ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Goods or Services ,
Incident Response Plans ,
New Rules ,
Webinars
Substantive cybersecurity amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) are underway, significantly altering the duties and obligations of federal government contractors both prior to award and during contract...more
11/20/2023
/ Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
SBA ,
Small Business
Protecting Our Nation’s Data, Part 2: Implementing Cyber Threat Incident Reporting and Information Sharing -
In October 2023, the federal government released a Proposed Rule aimed at incorporating new cybersecurity...more
In October 2023, the federal government released a Proposed Rule aimed at incorporating new cybersecurity reporting requirements into the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). In this second installment of PilieroMazza’s...more
11/8/2023
/ Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
SBA ,
Small Business ,
Subcontractors